State To Offer Drivers Free Holiday Coffee

Motorists battling holiday traffic on Illinois highways will be treated to free coffee at selected rest areas in the state this weekend, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Coffee, paid for by the state, will be served between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday by volunteers from the Civil Air Patrol. The coffee will be served at selected rest stops along Int. Hwys. 57, 55, 80, 70 and 74. Transportation officials said they hoped the program would encourage drivers to take a ``safety break`` during heavy Thanksgiving holiday traffic. The department said traffic usually increases by as much as 64 percent during the holiday period, which begins Wednesday.